Children’s mental health services are in a “better place” than they were three years ago, according to Children’s Commissioner Anne Longfield. However, in an article for Spotlight, Longfield warns that without further funding the nearly one in eight children who will experience a mental health condition will not get the help they need.
Longfield shares examples of children being turned away, or given one appointment where they are told they are not “ill enough” to qualify for healthcare services. Of those young people currently using mental health services, over eight in ten said it had deteriorated during the pandemic, and one in four said they were no longer able to access the help they needed.
She argues that alongside better funding, the system needs to be clear and transparent about what is available and the standards to which they are provided.
You can read the full article here.